Kazakh Translation

Two layers are changing at once in Kazakh documents: the alphabet is moving from Cyrillic to Latin, and two naming traditions are used side by side. The same person can appear in two forms on two documents.

5 min readLast updated 2 September 2026

Short answer

Kazakhstan has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 30 January 2001, so the apostille chain is valid. What needs care is the alphabet and the name: a document may be in Cyrillic or Latin, and a name may follow the Soviet pattern (-ov) or the Kazakh one (-ұлы).

Alphabet: Cyrillic (42 letters), transition to Latin under way
Name structure: Two traditions: -ov/-ova and -ұлы/-қызы
Second language: Documents often carry Russian as well
Apostille: Kazakhstan is a party (since 2001)

Writing system

Нотариалды куәландырылған аударма

Notarialdy kuälandyrylğan audarma

A notarised translation

Kazakh Cyrillic has 42 letters: the 33 of Russian Cyrillic plus nine specific to Kazakh (ә, ғ, қ, ң, ө, ұ, ү, һ, і). These have no Russian counterpart and cannot be typed on a Russian keyboard; their presence on a document shows the text is Kazakh, not Russian.

From Cyrillic to Latin

Kazakhstan decided in 2017 to move to the Latin alphabet, and the transition is proceeding in stages. The practical consequence for translation is that the document you hold may be in either script, and the same name can look different in each.

01
Tell us which alphabet
Say whether the document is in Cyrillic or Latin. We work with translators who read both, but which form governs the name spelling has to be settled.
02
The passport decides
Kazakh passports write the name in Latin script. Even where your document is in Cyrillic, the translation follows the latinised passport spelling.
03
Older documents stay in Cyrillic
The transition is not retrospective; documents issued before 2017 remain valid in Cyrillic and need not be reissued.
04
Some documents carry both
Documents issued during the transition may use both alphabets together. Both are shown in the translation.

Two naming traditions side by side

A personal name in Kazakhstan can be written in either of two traditions, and the individual may choose. The Soviet-era pattern ends the surname with Russian suffixes; the Kazakh pattern adds an ending meaning "son of" or "daughter of" to the father's name.

Two forms of one person's name
Tradition	Male	Female	Meaning
Soviet pattern	Nazarbayev	Nazarbayeva	Russian surname suffix
Kazakh pattern	Nazarbayұлы	Nazarbayқызы	Son of / daughter of Nazarbay
Without suffix	Nazarbay	Nazarbay	No ending used

Two forms of one person's name

Some documents also still carry the patronymic field inherited from Soviet records. In the Turkish register the father's name is a separate field rather than part of the name, so the translation marks which element is the patronymic.

Bilingual Kazakh and Russian documents

Most official documents in Kazakhstan are issued bilingually, with the same information in Kazakh and Russian side by side. That looks like an advantage, but differences can exist between the two texts, particularly in the spelling of institution and place names.

What to watch in a bilingual document
Element	Possible difference	Our approach
Personal name	Kazakh and Russian spellings may diverge	The passport governs; the difference is stated
Place name	Almaty versus Alma-Ata	The form on the document is preserved, today's equivalent noted
Institution name	A different official name in each language	The Kazakh form governs
Date	Usually identical	Where they differ, a translator's note is added

What to watch in a bilingual document

As to which text governs: the Kazakh one. On a document issued in Kazakhstan the state language is Kazakh and the Russian section is a translation. Our translation works from the Kazakh text.

letters in Kazakh Cyrillic: 42letters in Kazakh Cyrillic
letters absent from Russian: 9letters absent from Russian
the year the apostille entered into force: 2001the year the apostille entered into force

Kazakh documents and how we render them

Frequently seen documents
Document	What it is	Our approach
Туу туралы куәлік	Birth certificate	Its scope differs from a Turkish civil registry extract
Жеке куәлік	Identity card	The individual identification number field is stated
Диплом / Қосымша	Diploma and supplement	Two separate documents; without the supplement the diploma may count as incomplete
Анықтама	An official letter issued by an institution	What it attests is explained in the heading
Еңбек кітапшасы	Employment record book	Used to calculate length of service; every page is translated

Frequently seen documents

Frequently asked questions

Can a translator who knows Russian handle my Kazakh document?

If the document is bilingual the Russian section can be read, but the Kazakh text governs and an official procedure requires a translator with a Kazakh oath record. Kazakh Cyrillic has nine letters absent from Russian, and a knowledge of Russian does not unlock them.

Turkish and Kazakh are related and I can read it. Is a translation still required?

For an official procedure it is. The two belong to the same family and share much vocabulary, but the alphabet differs and false friends exist. The institution also requires a text signed by a sworn translator; understanding it yourself is not a legal basis.

Is an apostille enough for a document going to Kazakhstan?

Yes. Kazakhstan has been a party to the Hague Apostille Convention since 2001, so sworn translation, notarisation and an apostille are valid; consular legalisation is not required.

My old document says Nazarbayev and my new one Nazarbayұлы. How do I prove they are the same person?

Changing the form of a name is a formal procedure and a document is issued for it. Send that too; the translation states the relationship between the two forms explicitly. If you do not hold it, you may need to request a copy from the Kazakh authorities.

Where do I get an apostille for a diploma issued in Soviet times?

From whichever country the city of issue lies in today. For a diploma issued in Alma-Ata the Kazakh authorities are competent, not the Russian ones.